{"id":114150,"date":"2026-05-09T04:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-08T18:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/bendigotimes\/?p=114150"},"modified":"2026-05-07T14:58:45","modified_gmt":"2026-05-07T04:58:45","slug":"funds-for-free-multicultural-celebrations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/bendigotimes\/news\/funds-for-free-multicultural-celebrations\/","title":{"rendered":"Funds for free multicultural celebrations"},"content":{"rendered":"

A number of local multicultural bodies have successfully applied for funding to host a series of free events through the state government’s Multicultural Festivals and Events Program and the Regional Multicultural Festivals and Events Fund.<\/p>\n

They include the Bodhi Dhamma Buddhist Association, which received $42,500 to support its Lord Buddhas Hair Relic Exhibition and Eaglehawk Community House $34,000 towards its 2026 Festival of Friendships.<\/p>\n

The Festival of Friendships takes place on Saturday 6 June and will feature live entertainment, cultural food, boomerang painting, a Bollywood workshop, plus traditional dress and outfits.<\/p>\n

Neighbourhood Collective Australia also received $13,300 for its Doniya Behter Carnival and Nepalese in Bendigo received $4,950 to support the Nepali New Year 2083 – Bendigo Celebration.<\/p>\n

“I’m proud to support our local multicultural organisations to host events that bring people together, share culture and celebrate who we are,” said Premier and Bendigo East MP Jacinta Allan.<\/p>\n

Bendigo West MP Maree Edwards said central Victoria’s diversity is one of its greatest strengths and these grants help people of all backgrounds celebrate and share their culture.<\/p>\n

According to the government, with event costs rising the ongoing program helps groups celebrate their proud cultures without added financial pressure and ensures equitable access for groups that may otherwise face barriers to delivering events.<\/p>\n

To receive funding, events must be free, inclusive, accessible, culturally safe and align with the Victorian Values Statement.<\/p>\n

For more information and to apply for further rounds of either initiative, visit vic.gov.au<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A number of local multicultural bodies have successfully applied for funding to host a series of free events through the state government’s Multicultural Festivals and Events Program and the Regional Multicultural Festivals and Events Fund. They include the Bodhi Dhamma Buddhist Association, which received $42,500 to support its Lord Buddhas Hair Relic Exhibition and Eaglehawk […]<\/p>\n

Read More…<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":187,"featured_media":114152,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"post_folder":[],"class_list":["post-114150","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nFunds for free multicultural celebrations - Bendigo Times<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Bendigo multicultural festivals 2026: Local groups secure funding for free events, including the Festival of Friendships.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/bendigotimes\/news\/funds-for-free-multicultural-celebrations\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Funds for free multicultural celebrations - 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